Niharika Konidela’s production venture Rakasa has sparked an interesting debate in Tollywood. The film, produced under Pink Elephant Pictures in association with Zee Studios, has created some buzz for its OTT rights deal.
Generally, when a studio produces or co-produces a film, audiences assume that the movie will stream on that studio’s own streaming platform. In this case, many expected Rakasa to premiere on ZEE5. However, the digital rights have gone to Netflix. This move surprised netizens and even prompted a journalist to question the team directly about why a Zee Studios backed film would stream on Netflix instead of ZEE5.
The film’s team clarified the matter. Divya Vijay explained that Zee Studios focuses primarily on film production and does not insist that all associated projects must stream on its own OTT platform. Niharika Konidela added that while Pink Elephant Pictures shares a strong association with Zee Studios, business decisions depend on broader factors such as global reach and market strategy. She emphasized that the makers evaluate deals based on what benefits the film most. In this case, when a global platform like Netflix offered a good price, they were happy to accept it.
The makers plan to release Rakasa worldwide in theaters on April 3, targeting the summer holiday season. The combination of Zee Studios as a production partner and Netflix as the digital streaming platform stands out as a rare achievement. For Niharika, who is working hard to establish her identity as a serious producer, this project could become a memorable film for her banner.
Zee5 మీద ప్రొడ్యూస్ చేసి @netflix కి ఇచ్చారేంటి??
Interesting scenario! #Rakasa pic.twitter.com/wCcycWdAHV
— M9 NEWS (@M9News_) March 1, 2026
